President Obama's release of his long-form birth certificate; the LAUSD hires executives; Tim Rutten on modern California democracy

If President Obama didn't think up this whole "birther" escapade himself as a way to bring down the Republican Party in the most spectacular and thorough manner possible, then he is the luckiest politician to have ever been elected to office in the great U.S. of A.

On the other hand, if birtherism is in any way the result of Obama's own stealthy doings, then he is a genius surpassing Jefferson and Lincoln.

In any case, he appears to be blessed.

Ned Madden

San Clemente

The "doubt" regarding Obama's birth was a drama driven by two factors: One had to do with a short supply of reason and intellect, and the other with an overdose of racism.

It was an artificially manufactured controversy designed to denigrate the first black president. But Obama was modest enough to attribute the controversy exclusively to the first factor. It is a good measure of the man. That's why people around the world hold him in such high regard despite attempts by the radical right to reduce his stature.

His detractors have yet to learn that a good man will not be put down that way.

Rajend Naidu

Sydney, Australia

Happy now, birthers? Next, please turn your attention to determining whether gravity is real, solving the cold fusion puzzle and investigating why Donald Trump and Narcissus have never been seen together in public.

Joking aside, let's move on and, I suppose, not chastise all birthers, as at least a few of them were more motivated by a pro-Constitution bent than being anti-Obama.

William Choslovsky

Chicago

In packing up my apartment to move, I stumbled upon my birth certificate from the county health department in Omaha, Neb. It is labeled a "Certificate of Live Birth."

I thought this document had been proving my existence for the last 40 years, but in light of the news about Obama, I'm wondering: Should I order a long-form birth certificate of some sort?

I know I'm not the leader of the free world, but since people seem to be losing their minds in this country, it is reasonable to wonder if the standard of proving one's birth has changed, especially if you're African American.

Robin McClain

Los Angeles

It's a sad commentary that it took a reality TV star to finally get Obama to release his long-form birth certificate. Hopefully this issue will be put to rest, but the president could have done this months ago.

As Obama stated, we should get back to the "serious issues facing our country." But one wonders how serious he is, as his main focus seems to be traveling across the country to attend fundraisers in his bid for reelection.

Janet Polak

Beverly Hills

Trump is now 0 for 1 on the issues of the day. But only "The Donald" would spin as a positive an event that proved him wrong.

William P. Bekkala

West Hollywood

Pricey help at L.A. Unified

Re "L.A. schools chief hires 5 top execs," April 27

The Los Angeles Unified School District's classrooms are hemorrhaging, so let's put our money into the central office. This is the kind of thinking that got the district where it is today.

Spending this money outside the classroom is ludicrous. That money could be used to pay for more teachers. Far better results could be realized if teachers were left alone.

Those philanthropists paying for new positions at the top are aiming their golden bullets at the wrong targets, unless hitting the bull's-eye results in for-profit schools.

Harvey B. Allen

Santa Monica

Instead of hiring five top executives (at top-exec prices), how about hiring five top teachers, people who are succeeding in the classroom now? Let the educators who actually do the work develop solutions.

Jean Brousseau

North Hills

On direct democracy

Re "Enough of 'we the people,' " Opinion, April 27

Tim Rutten writes that citizens increasingly legislate "in tense competition with their own representatives." But he does not press on to ask why this competition exists in the first place.

I sign ballot measure petitions because, since I started tracking, I have noted that my own representative has never voted for measures that I support, but always in line with his party's ideology and various special interests. How can I hold that he represents me?

Perhaps the Constitution's preamble should be revised to read, "We, the special interests of the United States of America, in order to form a more perfect corporation."

John H. Geerken

Claremont

I couldn't agree more that people have been voting on issues that our legislators should have addressed. But Rutten fails to mention that taxpayers have reached a tipping point.

Clearly, any mass reductions of benefits to those in need will adversely affect the "badly frayed social safety net," but I believe that this is a direct result of our legislators passing bogus balanced budgets that were merely smoke and mirrors. A job well done indeed; now we are billions in debt that even our children's children will be unable to pay.